DMV fees · 50 states and DC
Tag and title fees by state
"Tag and title" is the dealer’s shorthand for the government fees other than the sales tax: the title, the plates and the first registration.
Built by Radif Partners · How the fees are calculated · Editorial policy
Tag, title and registration · California
$548
Due at purchase $4,249 · out the door $39,249
Then about $478 a year to renew.
| Sales/use tax (10.25%) | $3,596.21 |
| Reflectorized plate fee | $1.00 |
| Registration fee (includes $3 alternative fuel/technology fee) | $76.00 |
| California Highway Patrol fee | $34.00 |
| County and district fees (Los Angeles County) | $11.00 |
| Vehicle license fee (0.65% of $35,100)Based on the price you pay, even for a used car: the schedule restarts at each change of owner. | $228.00 |
| Transportation improvement fee | $198.00 |
| Smog abatement fee (no smog check for the first eight model years) | $20.00 |
| Dealer documentation fee (capped at $85) | $85.00 |
DMV and California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) schedules read on 2026-10-11. Some lines have no single official amount and are listed apart. How this is calculated.
A certificate of title costs from $3.00 in New Mexico to $214.50 in Wisconsin, but the title is rarely the large part of a "tag and title" line. Plates, the first registration period, county fees and, in some states, a yearly tax on the car's value collected with registration usually weigh more. For a new $35,000 car, title plus first registration comes to $38 in Georgia and $923 in Massachusetts. One-time charges can surprise newcomers: Florida adds a $225 initial registration fee when there is no Florida plate to move onto the car. The calculator separates each of these lines and leaves the sales tax on its own line, so that a buyer's order can be checked item by item and any fee that the state does not charge stands out at once.
The title: one fee, paid once per owner
The certificate of title proves ownership and records any lender's lien. It is issued once per owner and transferred at each sale, so its fee is a one-time cost. Some states add a separate lien recording fee when the car is financed; the calculator mentions it in the state notes rather than adding it, because it applies only to financed cars.
The tag: plates and the first registration
The registration fee follows the state's formula: flat, by weight, by value, by age or by horsepower. New plates may carry their own charge, and a few states add a one-time fee for a first registration in the state. The first period can be longer than a year for new cars in some states, which makes the first "tag" line larger than later renewals. The registration fee page compares the formulas and the renewal page shows what follows.
County lines on the bill
Counties collect their own fees with registration in many states: road and bridge funds, transportation projects, local wheel taxes. They are small compared with the sales tax but differ from one county to the next, which is why the calculator asks for the county.
Checking the line on a buyer's order
Enter the car in the calculator, keep "Dealer" selected, and compare the title, registration, plate and county lines with the order. The sales tax belongs on the tax line, and the dealer's own charge on the documentation fee line.
The 51 jurisdictions side by side
| State | Title fee | Tag, title and registration |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $15.00 | $42 |
| Alaska | $15.00 | $265 |
| Arizona | $4.00 | $602 |
| Arkansas | $10.00 | $38 |
| California | $15.00 | $548 |
| Colorado | $7.20 | $708 |
| Connecticut | $25.00 | $189 |
| Delaware | $35.00 | $75 |
| District of Columbia | $30.00 | $205 |
| Florida | $75.75 | $347 |
| Georgia | $18.00 | $38 |
| Hawaii | $10.00 | $388 |
| Idaho | $14.00 | $151 |
| Illinois | $165.00 | $316 |
| Indiana | $15.00 | $520 |
| Iowa | $30.00 | $394 |
| Kansas | $10.00 | $46 |
| Kentucky | $9.00 | $30 |
| Louisiana | $68.50 | $139 |
| Maine | $33.00 | $908 |
| Maryland | $200.00 | $441 |
| Massachusetts | $75.00 | $923 |
| Michigan | $15.00 | $231 |
| Minnesota | $8.25 | $611 |
| Mississippi | $9.00 | $38 |
| Missouri | $8.50 | $27 |
| Montana | $12.00 | $409 |
| Nebraska | $10.00 | $639 |
| Nevada | $28.25 | $674 |
| New Hampshire | $35.00 | $738 |
| New Jersey | $60.00 | $271 |
| New Mexico | $3.00 | $77 |
| New York | $50.00 | $212 |
| North Carolina | $66.75 | $130 |
| North Dakota | $5.00 | $98 |
| Ohio | $18.00 | $54 |
| Oklahoma | $11.00 | $107 |
| Oregon | $106.00 | $628 |
| Pennsylvania | $72.00 | $125 |
| Rhode Island | $53.50 | $105 |
| South Carolina | $15.00 | $55 |
| South Dakota | $10.00 | $102 |
| Tennessee | $11.00 | $38 |
| Texas | $33.00 | $160 |
| Utah | $6.00 | $241 |
| Vermont | $42.00 | $133 |
| Virginia | $15.00 | $46 |
| Washington | $15.00 | $643 |
| West Virginia | $15.00 | $67 |
| Wisconsin | $214.50 | $342 |
| Wyoming | $15.00 | $675 |